No Matter Above Or Below-Part Seven

[eenaangel]

Banner by karahalliwell



She’s tired. It’s not something new. She’s always tired. She’s been tired since Founders’ Day and it’s only gotten worse over time. It’s like there was some sort of countdown clock started that day and it’s been slowly making its way to zero. She’s been walking around with an expiration date all along and now her time is up. She hasn’t felt this lifeless since she cremated Uncle Bobby.

Two days after Castiel’s revelations about Bonnie and this Pahalial guy and Caroline feels stretched beyond her limits. The time since has been filled with more arguments than she can count and hours of frustration. She knows the Founders entered a covenant with God, she knows it was for the protection of Mystic Falls. She also knows that something has changed and if she just knew more about the Deal then things would start making sense. Even the elder members of the Council are in the dark about the Deal. It seems that the details were lost a long time ago and all that most Council members know is about vampires. Demons, angels, and everything in between is new to them. They’re still playing catch up from their encounter with Kushiel. Most of them spend the day reading and rereading the Bible. She would laugh, if she hadn’t done the exact same thing for two years.

The day of the full moon arrives and she’s still without definite answers. Isobel and Bonnie are always on her mind and her nerves get more and more frazzled as the hours tick by. Everyone else is up to their eyeballs in preparation for tonight. There are more guns at Bonnie’s house than Caroline’s ever seen-even at Uncle Bobby’s. She’s not sure when Bonnie’s house became central command, but everyone’s there nonetheless. Alaric, Jeremy, Tyler, Matt, Dean, Jeffrey, and several other members of the newly expanded Council are all in Bonnie’s living room, loading weapons and talking strategy. The sheriff calls every now and then to coordinate and check details with them. Caroline sits among these men, loading and checking weapons absently. If anyone notices her distraction, they don’t mention it. Dean does give her a couple of worried glances here and there; it’s enough to make guilt come gnawing at her insides.

Stefan shows up with Meredith sometime after noon. He stays on the porch while Meredith stuffs herself onto the loveseat beside Jeremy and commences whispering with him urgently. Caroline wanders outside, not missing Dean’s disapproving look but not caring about it either. “You ready?”

Stefan nods and stares off into the distance. “It’s so unnerving, the hours before a battle.”

She takes in his blank face and relaxed posture and can’t help but giggle. “Yeah, I can see you’re real panicked about it.”

He slides his eyes over to her and a smile threatens in the twitching of his lips. “You’re hilarious, Caroline Forbes. Has anyone ever told you that?”

She rolls her eyes. “People don’t use the word ‘hilarious’. ‘Funny’, ‘bitchy’, and ‘tedious’ have come up, though.”

This makes him laugh. He sobers quickly. “You’re not tedious, Caroline,” he assures her.

“And yet, there’s no defence of the ‘bitchy’,” Caroline smirks at him, leaning against the closed front door. “It’s okay. I appreciate the compliment.”

Stefan smiles. “I’m grateful,” he replies. “But I do have to ask, are you ready?”

Caroline purses her lips and then lies. “Well, it’s not exactly Lucifer, but I’m being cautious anyway. I’ll be ready when the time comes.”

“Did you really face him?” Stefan asks suddenly. “Lucifer, I mean?”

She nods once, grimacing slightly.

“What was he like?”

She thinks of tousled brown hair, blue-green eyes that can make a girl melt, and a sweet smile. Just one glimpse of that smile and she’s lost. It might be for an hour, a day, or just ten seconds-but every time, she’s lost.

“He was awful,” she finally replies. “He was beautiful. I could have loved him-if he wanted me to, I would have loved him. That’s what made him so awful.”

Stefan looks at her thoughtfully. He shifts from one foot to the other, eyes sliding off to the world beyond Bonnie’s porch again. “You and that angel, Sam. It’s none of my business, but-“

“It’s not your business,” Caroline cuts him off. “But, yeah.”

“I thought they couldn’t-“

“They can’t,” she shrugs her shoulders. “Well, they can. There’s no physical reason why they can’t. But it doesn’t last-humans and angel can’t have long-term, or even short-term, relationships. We live in two different worlds.”

Stefan nods and bites his lip. She watches him closely, can almost see the other question on his lips. “So, how-why-“

“He wasn’t always an angel,” she answers as he fumbles. “He was Dean’s brother. But we lost him in the fight with Lucifer. I suppose God or whoever’s in charge up there decided to reward him with wings. Personally, I think they don’t care about rewarding humans. They needed to refill the ranks. They lost more this time than their last fight with Lucifer.”

Stefan looks at her curiously. “Dean gets along with them better than you.”

Caroline smirks again. “Dean’s more forgiving than I am.”

Stefan scoffs, no doubt thinking about the past week of Dean baiting Damon and pulling guns on him whenever the mood struck him (and the mood struck often). “So what? There’s no love lost between you and the angels?”

“No, none,” Caroline shrugs. “I love Cas and Sam as much as I did before. It’s what makes everything that much worse.”

Stefan gives her a hard look. “After Elena died, I thought I would do anything to have her come back to life,” he confesses. “I prayed, because I figured with all these angels around I should get religious. It didn’t work; I wasn’t sure if God wasn’t listening or if He ignores vampires. But I prayed for weeks. I thought I would do anything. If she was brought back and I had to leave her for her own good-I would do it. I thought everything would be better if she was alive-even if I never got to see her again myself, never had the chance to touch her again. I thought I could do it, but it’s not so easy. Is it?”

Caroline’s eyes are getting watery and she turns her eyes away from Stefan. She takes a page out of his book and looks off into the world around them. She gazes hard at the surrounding trees and houses, not really seeing any of it. “When he first came back, I was happy. I can’t describe how happy. But it changed when I understood what it meant. He was dead before, and that hurt. But now he’s back, he’s within reaching distance, but he’s further away than ever. Having him here, getting bits and pieces of him but knowing that I can’t keep him-it’s worse than anything ever. Living without him because he was gone was hard; having to live without him like this is impossible. Why else do you think I’m so angry, Stefan? It’s like God granted my prayers, but only just enough to break me all over again.”

His fingers graze her elbow and he waits. She looks at him, seeing how he’s kept a deliberate distance between them. She sees why Elena loved him so much, loved him enough to put up with Damon and everything else. He isn’t just sweet; he’s noble and kind and there’s something so soulful about him that it’s almost ironic. She remembers the first time she saw him and chased after him. She remembers the sting of his rejection and how it led her to Damon. But she can’t fault him there. Her pursuit of Damon was her own choice; and she was stupid for trying because there never was (and never will be) anyone but Elena for Stefan. It’s so clear to her in that exact moment that she falters, breaks her own rule, and hugs him.

He’s solid to the touch, much more so than Dean or Sam. Her forehead touches the exposed parts of his neck as she leans in close and it’s cool against her skin. His hands are hesitant as they circle around her waist; there’s a restraint to all of his movements. She’s hugging him and he’s cradling her and she understands that this is how he will spend eternity. Humans are as fragile as glass in his hands and if he forgets it for one second, he will crush them instantly. It seems so unfair then, that the Stefan who loved her best friend so openly, the Stefan of small smiles and secretive winks, the Stefan of wry humour and begrudging compliance-the Stefan who craves the company of people so dearly can never enjoy that company completely. He always has to keep himself back just a bit, always has to keep in mind that he is not one of them. He has nothing to look forward to but an eternity of passing acquaintances and Damon.

“Not that I’m complaining about the warming of relations, but I can’t help wonder why this feels so much like a goodbye.”

She goes still for a second, but it’s enough to alert Stefan to the fact that something is wrong. He pulls back, moves his hands to her upper arms and gazes at her in worry. “Caroline?”

Even the touch of his hands on her arms is cautious. It’s the barest touch of skin against skin. He’s careful; he’s always so careful-how did she miss this before when she lumped him with his brother? She forces a smile, but knows that it fails. “I’m sorry, I’m just . . .” she trails off, not able to think of a plausible lie. She settles for a half-truth instead. “I have a bad feeling about this. I can’t shake it.”

He studies her closely for a minute or two. She’s flooded with relief when he nods and lets go of her arms. “It’s hard, not knowing how Bonnie is. But I’m sure it’ll work out. Isobel isn’t going to win this game.”

Caroline shrugs. “She may not win, but who knows what she’ll get away with?”

Stefan gives her a sad smile and one last barely-there hug before leaving. He’s gone to check with Carol and the Council. They’re firmly lodged at the Lockwood manor, and she suspects most of them want to stay away from the crazy knife girl. John Gilbert certainly does, and she’s glad something productive came of that disastrous meeting.

Damon is already at the sheriff’s department, going over maps and organizing lookouts or whatever. Tyler explained this to her when he came in, but she barely listened. It doesn’t matter anyway.

She goes back inside and waves away Dean’s concern. She doesn’t rejoin the weapons session, instead takes Rumsfeld by the collar and leads him out to the backyard. She wastes two hours on her dog, playing, walking, and cuddling him to her heart’s content. She sees Dean watching her from time to time, but he doesn’t come out to interrupt. When she brings Rumsfeld back inside, Dean’s already got her dog’s food ready and waiting. She flashes him a grateful smile before leading Rumsfeld over to his dish. Dean leaves her sitting on the floor next to Rumsfeld, watching him eat.

Sunset is scheduled for sixty-thirty, and the plan is to leave the house by five-thirty to set up. At five-fifteen, Caroline is in the kitchen, nervously watching the back door. She can hear Dean and Tyler arguing about something on the front porch while the others busy themselves with piling into the cars. They’ll come for her soon enough. She wishes she had had time to spend with Dean alone today, but couldn’t take the risk. If she insisted on spending alone time with him today, Dean would have immediately become suspicious. She just hopes he’ll forgive her for this one day.

A shadow passes by the kitchen window and Caroline grabs the shotgun she’s prepped before. She walks past Rumsfeld’s dishes, eyes tearful when she thinks of her dog, shut away in the living room for the night. She pauses to make sure Dean and Tyler are still involved in their little argument before she moves to the back door and pulls it open quietly.

Isobel is waiting on the other side, a bloodied and unconscious Bonnie hanging from her hands-just like she promised. Caroline’s eyes roam over Bonnie, waiting a tense second before confirming the rise and fall of Bonnie’s chest. Her friend’s alive.

“You know the deal,” Isobel reminds her, mindful to keep her voice to a whisper. “I bring you Bonnie, you come with me.”

Caroline swallows a lump in her throat. “Bring her here.”

“You step out,” Isobel counters.

Caroline swears under her breath, bringing up the shotgun and pointing it at Isobel’s face as she slowly moves a foot past the doorway. “I drop the gun and come quietly the second she’s safely inside.”

Isobel rolls her eyes and drags Bonnie closer. For one second, Caroline’s side by side with her best friend. Isobel dangles Bonnie over the threshold and Caroline drops one hand from the shotgun to trace her fingers over Bonnie’s cheek. Then, Isobel drops Bonnie and grabs Caroline. Caroline resists, turning to make sure Bonnie lands all the way inside the house before Isobel yanks the gun out of her hand. Bonnie hits the ground with a hard thud and Caroline hears shouts coming from the front of the house.

“Sounds like an army,” Isobel muses, switching her hold from Caroline’s arm to her neck. “Good thing I brought back up.”

Dozens of vampires materialize in the Bennett’s backyard. Caroline doesn’t have time to open her mouth and accuse Isobel of breaking their deal. Pain explodes from the left side of her head and Caroline falls into unconsciousness amidst the sounds of guns firing.

~*~

Four years after Founders’ Day, almost to the date, and Caroline Forbes is dying.

The speakers blare out Def Leppard at a deafening volume and Dean’s driving like a crazed stuntman while she sits in the passenger seat. She thinks she should be crying. She’s spent most of the past year crying. But the shock is too much and she’s too numb for anything other than sitting and staring.

Dean looks at her occasionally and tries to speak to her once or twice. She doesn’t respond in any way. She just looks out the front windshield and thinks of Sam. Dean’s probably waiting for her to yell, to scream ‘I told you so’, or something to that effect. She was against this plan from the start, but she didn’t go semi-catatonic until it failed so completely.

So now they’re on their way to the final battleground. She doesn’t know what Dean thinks he can accomplish. They’ve lost. But he says Sammy doesn’t die alone, and that sentiment is the only thing that prompts her legs to move, to seat her in the front seat of the Impala. Uncle Bobby had tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t budge. The Apocalypse is here; there’s no such thing as a safe distance anymore.

Dean roars into Stalls Cemetery and they’re just in time for the show. Dean undoes his seat-belt, turns to her and orders her to “stay here” before getting out himself. She doesn’t acknowledge him, but listens nonetheless. She can see Sam and Adam standing just beyond the car, but it’s an illusion. Sam and Adam aren’t there anymore; there’s only Lucifer and Michael.

Dean gets out, saying that he wants five minutes to talk to Sam. Lucifer stalks closer to the car, eyes sliding past Dean to land on her in the front seat. His lips curve up into a cruel smile, something that looks so utterly foreign on Sam’s face. She hears him say something about giving Dean permission to take the blonde and hole up in a motel until the End comes. There are more lewd suggestions on what Dean and Caroline can do while they wait, but Lucifer’s cut off when Michael goes up in flames.

Her eyes cut to the left and she sees Castiel and Uncle Bobby just behind where Michael had been standing. She swears under her breath, feels her heart start to warm a bit, and opens her car door. Her right foot just touches the ground when Lucifer turns and waves a hand. Castiel explodes right in front of them and she can’t help but scream.

Lucifer looks back at her and smiles before snapping his fingers. She’s thrown back into the car by an unseen force and the door slams after her. She hits her head on the driver’s side window, screaming when her legs crash against the gearshift. Swearing and grabbing at her injured legs, Caroline jerks violently when the gunshot breaks out. She twists and looks out the windshield, sees Uncle Bobby standing there with a smoking gun in his hand. Lucifer growls and she watches, horrified, as Uncle Bobby’s head snaps to the side and he falls dead to the ground.

She’s screaming, louder and louder, but she can’t even make out her own words. Her fists pummel the side window, Uncle Bobby’s name escapes her lips many times, and then there’s a loud smacking sound and the whole car shakes. She turns back to the passenger side window, sees Dean pushed up against the car with Lucifer standing before him. She scrambles over car seats, pulling and yanking at the door handle. The door won’t open and the windows won’t roll down when she tries them. Caroline pounds her fists against the window, screaming threats at Lucifer.

He looks at her with Sam’s eyes and there’s a calculating look there that Sam never had. He grins, tells her to behave and he’ll reward her, and then turns back to hitting Dean. She shrieks every time a blow lands. She can’t hear what is being said on the other side, but she kicks and punches until her knuckles are bleeding. Frustrated, she opens the glove department and finds a wrench. She turns back to the glass, intent on shattering it so she could get outside.

Lucifer’s looking right at her as she lifts the wrench and he shakes his head in dismay. His hand goes up, two fingers making a sideways motion, and suddenly Caroline can’t breathe.

Her lungs gasp and struggle to find oxygen, but there’s none left in the car. The wrench drops from her hands and Caroline slumps forward. Her forehead is mashed up against the side window and she can see Dean looking at her in horror. Her hands claw at the window, desperate for air. Her eyelids start to droop and there’s a terrifying static in her ears. Caroline feels herself sliding down the window, her hands fall to the car floor, and her head comes to a stop on the window ledge. Her eyes close completely and then Caroline ceases to think at all . . .

She wakes up in a sunlit room. It takes her a second to realize that it’s her sunlit room and that Uncle Bobby and Rumsfeld are both sitting on the bed watching her. She gets up, afraid of the look on her uncle’s face. She glances around, sees Dean leaning against the door, looking perfectly healthy and perfectly miserable.

The whole story comes out. How Sam fought back, he opened the cage, and how Michael followed him down it. She hears that Castiel is okay and back to being God’s little bitch (Dean sounds bitter) and how he healed both Uncle Bobby and Caroline before heading off to wherever he went. She listens to the news of how the world seems to have gone back to normal; that the demons are now on the run. She listens to everything, but all she hears is that Sam is gone.

Four years after Founders’ Day, Caroline Forbes lays down on her bed, pulls the covers up and over her head, and feels every last part of her heart die.

~*~

Caroline comes back to her senses slowly, unsure of what’s happened. She hears voices shouting in the distance, and some sort of soft hum right beside her. She twitches, her finger moving slightly at the surface beneath her. She feels little pebbles and dirt underneath her fingertips and all the way up her arm. She realizes that she’s cold and someone has removed her jacket. And more importantly, removed the weapons she had stashed underneath it.

Caroline opens her eyes slightly and sees nothing but dirt, grass, and blackness. It’s all hazy, but she feels as though something is very wrong. The memories of Isobel and Bonnie come trickling back in and Caroline remembers what she’s done. She shifts her legs slightly, feeling the hard poke of rocks and twigs on her bare feet. They’ve taken her boots too.

The voices in the distance are very familiar and she strains to hear them. Isobel is the first voice she recognizes and Caroline catches the tail end of a taunt from the vampire. “ . . . a foot here. Silly little angel, you need to plan better.”

“Let her go!” This sounds like Sam, and it makes sense if Isobel is calling him an angel.

“I don’t think so,” Isobel says, dropping her voice to a normal volume and so Caroline can’t make out the words properly. “She’s . . . need to know . . . so cute . . . all that blood . . .”

The humming noise she heard earlier is louder now. Caroline listens to it and realizes it’s a voice. There’s someone sitting right behind her head, chanting something so quickly that the words blended together into a nonsensical hum. The noise reaches a high point, drowning out the sounds of Isobel and Sam fighting and Caroline’s heart seizes to hear it.

Her eyes snap open and she turns her head straight, ignoring the pain it causes her to do so. She gets a glimpse of black-clad arms and mocha-coloured hands before the dagger in those hands comes rushing down to meet her. Caroline reacts on instinct, brings up her hands and catches the woman’s hands just before the dagger can push into her eye. The chanter gives a startled noise and then attempts to push the knife down further. Isobel’s name is shouted from a very feminine voice as Caroline forces the dagger away from her face. The woman curses and then shrieks when Caroline rears up to bite the woman viciously on the exposed part of her wrist. The woman loosens her hold on the dagger enough for Caroline to yank it away.

There’s a rush of air at her back, letting her know Isobel is arriving. Caroline doesn’t stop to face her, just twists up and plunges down with the dagger. A spray of blood hits her face as the unknown woman gargles in alarm. Caroline doesn’t feel the hands on her back before she is thrown clear of her victim. She soars through the air, landing on her back painfully. The air goes out of her lungs and Caroline stares up at the night sky with unseeing eyes.

She blinks once or twice to try to focus. She hears some more shouting, but can’t make sense of the words. Isobel suddenly appears in her line of sight, the vampire looking mildly annoyed. “Look at the mess you’ve made,” Isobel snaps as she extends a hand towards Caroline. She puts Caroline on her feet so quickly that the blonde’s head spins. Caroline stumbles a bit, falling back onto her knees before Isobel fists her hand in Caroline’s hair and yanks her head backwards.

“It doesn’t fix anything,” Isobel tells her. “You think I’m stupid? That I don’t plan for these things? Lily over there has been fed so much vampire blood in the last week that she’ll probably be getting up in a few minutes and then she’ll finish the spell. You’re still going to die here, Yappy. And no one’s going to help you. The town’s over run with almost fifty vampires and I’ve got ten more waiting in the woods. No one’s getting through all that in time. Well, the angels are, but we both know that they can’t help you. They’re not welcome here.”

Isobel lets go of Caroline suddenly. The blonde’s head slumps forward and Caroline takes a few deep breaths to calm herself. She looks around and sees the woman who had tried to kill her before, the one Isobel called Lily. Well, Lily doesn’t look so good. She’s lying absolutely still in a pool of her own blood. Caroline swallows and forces herself not to throw up.

She’s never killed a person before.

“You’re not getting away with this,” Caroline sputters, prying her eyes from the sight of Lily’s body. “They’ll stop you.”

“Are you not listening?” Isobel stomps her way over and kneels down so she’s eye level with Caroline. “No one’s coming. They’re too busy dealing with the minions I set loose on Mystic Falls. And if any of them do get through, I’ve got reinforcements spread out all over this area. But you’re not talking about those pathetic little human fighters. You’re talking about Bonnie. That’s why you agreed to the deal, right? You thought if you gave the white hats Bonnie back, they would heal her and she would come back here and do her thing. I thought of that; it’s why I had her house set on fire just before I left. Bonnie’s probably all crispy by now. And if she somehow managed to survive, the Salvatores are just too busy to heal her right now. And your angels? They don’t seem all that inclined to help little Bonnie Bennett. Those two keep popping in here, trying to save you themselves. It hasn’t gone so well, if you haven’t noticed.”

“Well, your plan isn’t going too well either,” Caroline snaps back. “I don’t care if your little witch does wake up. Every minute going by is just more time for the others. Even if you raise Lilitu tonight, Bonnie will get better and she will work with Castiel and Sam to put him down before he gets too far.”

Isobel sighs and shakes her head. “Oh Yappy, you don’t get it, do you? I had such high hopes. You seemed so on the ball that day in the ladies’ room. But you don’t understand, do you? I don’t want to raise Lilitu. He’s a whole lot of drama that I don’t want.”

Caroline frowns and struggles to her feet. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Well, Lilitu was always Katherine’s thing,” Isobel explains, walking over to check on Lily. Caroline eyes the tree line, wondering if she could make it off Willow Creek grounds before Isobel caught her. The vampire jerks her head up and grins. “You’d never make it, Yappy. I’m a vampire. I could stop you before you got far.”

Caroline growls and backs up, casting a glance around for something, anything that would help. Her jacket and her boots are nowhere to be seen. All she’s got on hand is rocks and twigs. Not helpful.

“Anyway, I’m sorry for lying to you,” Isobel continues with her story, nudging Lily slightly with her foot. “I just had to say something to you that day to get you to agree. I figured you would trade for Bonnie in a second, but I couldn’t have you getting too close to the truth, could I? The thing is, Lilitu is a good idea in theory, but Katherine only wanted him out so he could get her Klaus. I’ve got no interest in the Original Ones and bowing down to some deformed demon-human hybrid isn’t pleasing. Seriously, you should see the drawings of this guy. Ugly doesn’t cover it.”

Caroline spots the dagger she used on Lily lying just beyond Isobel. She starts to skirt that way slowly, her eyes never leaving Isobel. The vampire either doesn’t realize her intent or doesn’t care because she keeps telling her story while trailing fingers through Lily’s bloodied hair. “The thing is, Bonnie gave me an idea. I was still committed to raising Lilitu after Bonnie killed Katherine, if nothing else than for revenge. But watching the little witch and seeing her struggle after the fight, I figured she had done something wrong that day. So two weeks ago, I have her picked up, and it’s easy because she only has that Mutt boy for protection. I tie her up, torture her for days, and when she’s delirious, she starts mumbling out pieces of her story. I put two and two together and figured out that Bonnie stole that angel’s powers. And then, an idea struck me. If she could do that to an angel she traded blood with, could I do the same with Lilitu?”

Caroline stops in her tracks and gives Isobel a scared look. “You really have lost your mind, haven’t you?”

Isobel waves this off, a serene smile curving her lips. “It makes perfect sense. Just follow me for a second, will you? Bonnie drank this angel’s blood, formed a bond, and then ripped his powers from his body in this very spot. I don’t care what you say, the lines had something to do with it. Now, Lilitu gave his blood to the Original Ones, one of whom was Klaus. Klaus made Katherine, she made Damon, and then Damon made me. He’s like my great-great-grandfather, vampire wise, and that’s a stronger blood connection that any other vampire can claim. Why can’t I use the lines and my blood bond to Lilitu to drain his powers straight from Hell? Then I become the Head Bitch and everyone bows down to me. The only thing standing in my way is this silly little covenant, and Bonnie’s done a good job of weakening it already. She brought the power of Heaven to a place where it was forbidden to dwell. And now, in order to break the bonds of this agreement entirely, I have you.”

“The bloodletting,” Caroline says with disgust.

“Wrong!” Isobel gets to her feet and speeds over to Caroline, catching the blonde by the throat in a blink of an eye. “The bloodletting would let out Lilitu, and that’s not what I’m aiming for. This spell breaks the power of the covenant in the simplest way. The deal was struck between five families and God. Heaven overstepped its own boundaries, unintentional as that step may have been, and the only thing holding it together is the bloodlines that feed it. There are way too many Fells, Gilberts, Lockwoods, and Salvatores out there. A hundred and fifty years expands the family quite a bit, except if that family is named Forbes.”

Caroline’s heart sinks. She knows the truth before Isobel can spell it out for her. “A hundred and fifty years of single-child families,” Isobel laughs lightly. “You Forbes couldn’t have made it any simpler. Only your grandfather broke tradition and tried for more than one child. But both those children are dead and the only remaining Forbes is standing right here. You’re it, Yappy. You’re the last Forbes, the only one upholding your family’s part in the covenant, and when you die tonight, it’s all over.”

More noise explodes from the trees. She hears her name being shouted over and over again. Her heart sinks when she recognizes Dean’s voice. Gunshots soon add to the mix and then she can hear Sam shouting for Dean. Isobel turns towards the noise, a speculative look on her face. “Well, they’re certainly determined. Lily? How you feeling?”

Caroline swings her head around and watches with horrified eyes as Lily struggles to get to her feet. The wound in her neck is closing, the skin melding back together and soon it’s like Caroline never stabbed her. The witch makes it to her feet, blood smeared all over her face. She’s glaring death at Caroline, rubbing one hand gingerly across her throat.

“You’re dead,” Lily rasps, moving sluggishly towards Isobel.

“Now, now, let’s not fight,” Isobel smiles and places a tender kiss on the corner of Lily’s lips. Caroline makes a disgusted noise in her throat and Isobel tightens her grip just a bit. Soon Caroline’s gasping and Isobel has turned back to Lily. “Come on, dear. We need to finish up. Complete the spell and then you’re welcome to drink from her to transition. But we need to hurry. We’re about to have company.”

Caroline’s relieved when she hears Dean’s voice again, and that it’s closer than before. Isobel looks to the woods in irritation, gently pushing Lily towards the dagger. “Pick it up,” she orders, turning Caroline’s back to the direction Dean’s voice is coming from. Caroline tries to kick the vampire and gets backhanded for the effort. Isobel’s ever tightening grip on her windpipe is making it very hard to breathe. Caroline’s seeing spots as she gazes over Isobel’s shoulder. She sees a flash of something, not sure if she’s really seeing what’s there. Isobel’s too busy laughing at Sam and Dean to notice much else and Lily is too intent on Caroline to see anything.

“Pathetic,” Isobel declares, tossing Caroline to the ground. Caroline’s head connects with a rock and she blacks out for a second. The pain in the back of her head is intense and she feels something warm sliding down her neck. Isobel might have cracked her skull open with that last move. “They finally get it into their brain that they need help, so they bring one human. One human? These angels never learn.”

“They’re not so bad,” Caroline manages to gasp, feebly trying to get her body to move away from Isobel. She’s not having the best of luck, so she gives up and collapses back down to the ground.

“Oh yeah? What makes you say that, Yappy?”

Lily’s creeping closer, picking up her chant once again. The moonlights flashing off the dagger’s hilt and Caroline can’t help but laugh-it’s all so bizarre in that instant. “Angels can learn,” she mutters in between hysterical giggles. Caroline turns on her back and looks up at Isobel, wondering if she could see any bit of Elena in that face. There’s nothing but ice. “We taught Cas a lot of stuff. Dean even taught him how to shoot a gun.”

Isobel frowns and Caroline sees that the vampire detects the hidden meaning of her words. But she’s too late to do anything about it. The gunshot blast comes from the trees behind Isobel and the bullet catches her in the left side. Lily screams while Isobel gurgles. The vampire runs a hand down her stomach, smearing blood all over it. She looks at Caroline in confusion and then Isobel falls to her knees.

“Not bad,” the vampire gasps before falling face first into the dirt. Lily howls in rage and she’s on top of Caroline in seconds. The dagger’s raised high and Caroline doesn’t have the strength to stop it this time. But another shot rings out before Lily can bring down her arm. The witch’s body jerks violently and Caroline gets another spray of blood to her face. Lily’s eyes cross, the dagger falls from her hands, and she topples over, landing hard on top of Caroline.

Caroline grunts upon impact and then coughs. Her head is spinning and she wants to push Lily off, but her arms don’t have the strength. Caroline drops her hands and tilts her head back. She looks up at the night sky, the shouts of Dean and Sam sounding further and further away. She blinks once, and it’s a long one. The stars are starting to blur out of focus and then her eyes fall shut for good.

~*~

“I told you it was a bad idea.”

They’re sitting on the front lawn of the school. Poster boards are spread out all around them and the spaces in between are littered with paintbrushes and paint jars. She remembers this sunny day. It was in the year before the Salvatores came to town. It was before Elena’s parents died in that car crash. It was before everything went to shit and the two of them were just girls.

It was nice.

Caroline reaches out with a brush, slowly tracing a large pink ‘V’ on the white paper. She looks up to Elena, smiles at the sight of her friend with her long hair tied back, large button shirt serving as a smock, and a smudge of red paint on her cheek. “It’s not like I could remember what you said,” Caroline reminds her before going back to her painting. “And that’s exactly the way you wanted it.”

There’s a splash of water as Elena swirls her brush around, trying to clean it. “You sound like you’ve figured it all out. Have you, Caroline?”

Caroline drops her brush back into the pink paint jar and leans back. She brushes hair out of her eyes with paint-smeared fingers and then looks intently at her friend. “I think you knew if I could remember everything that happened in these dreams, then I would have also figured out that you’re not Elena. This way, you at least had a chance for me to listen.”

Elena moves a completed poster out of the way, the paint advertising the upcoming Valentine’s Day dance still glistening. She puts it in a swatch of sunlight to help it dry before turning back to Caroline. “That’s not entirely true. She lent me her essence and her memories. It gave her a chance, however little and obscure, to connect with you again. She was happy to do it.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Caroline sighs. “So, who are you? I want to say who I think you are, but I’m not exactly correct, am I?”

A secretive smile graces Elena’s face. “You’re very smart, Caroline. And you’re right, I did keep you from remembering these dreams on purpose. Leaving you with the bare impressions helped keep them fresh on your mind and gave enough mystery to them that you wouldn’t just turn your back completely. You did hold out for a while, but Elena was right. You could never fully turn your back on her. Even if you were still angry.”

Caroline arches an eyebrow, unimpressed. “You didn’t answer the question.”

Elena sighs and stretches out her arms. She wiggles her fingers and gazes thoughtfully at the surrounding area. “You’ve heard of me, I think. They used to call me Metatron.”

Caroline purses her lips. “Alan Rickman was so far off.”

“But no less brilliant for it,” Elena quips back lightly. “And as over-the-top sacrilegious as that movie was, they got a few things right. I am Metatron, the voice of the one true God.”

“He couldn’t come Himself?”

Elena laughs. “You know it doesn’t work like that, Caroline,” the girl winks at her suggestively. “And just be happy that I’m in this form. I could have been a burning bush or a blinding light. I just figured this would be more comfortable for you.”

Caroline looks at Elena sharply. “Where were you?”

“Before, you mean?” Elena looks to her for clarification, but they both know what Caroline means so it’s just a stalling tactic. “I was . . . around. Please understand, Caroline. I am the voice of God. He speaks through me, fills my mind and my lips with His divine words. He’s always done this, always been with me in some way. When He was gone, there are no words to describe the loneliness. I wasn’t sure if this was what we were supposed to do and I could not turn to my Father for guidance. So I just sat there.”

“You did nothing while the world ended?”

Elena winces. “It sounds awful when you say it like that,” she mutters despondently. “But yes, I did. I turned my back at Stalls Cemetery so I would not have to see my brothers kill each other. I turned away, wallowing in despair, until He began to speak to me again.”

Caroline swallows an angry retort. “Is He back in Heaven then?” she manages to ask.

Elena’s face falls. “No, He’s not,” she admits. “He is speaking to me again, but He’s still wandering the Earth. We don’t know what He is looking for. We’re just glad to have His presence amongst us again. Does it not comfort you as well?”

She can’t answer that. “Where’s Elena?”

“With her parents, waiting for Stefan,” Elena shakes her head, brown hair fluttering in the wind. “She’s happy, especially now. It was a bad idea, but it worked out in the end. But maybe you should work on making plans that don’t have the capacity to go to Hell at the slightest miscalculation.”

Caroline laughs. “It’s like you don’t know me at all,” she says before sobering. She gazes hard at Elena before her, tries to get a handle on the feelings swirling around inside her belly. “This is the last one, isn’t it?”

Elena shrugs. “She lent me her presence to help save her town, and that’s done. She can take it back and just rest until her loved ones join her. She’s earned a bit of a break, I think.”

Caroline smiles at the way that is delivered. Even after death, Elena’s winning over admirers. It’s just so typical.

“When do I get my break?” she asks suddenly.

Elena rolls her eyes and pulls a blank poster board in front of her. “You are still alive,” she reminds Caroline. “Why would you want to take a break from that? Besides, you know you still have things to do, Caroline Forbes.”

“Want to tell me about those things?”

“You know what they are,” Elena dips her brush into the red paint jar and commences painting a large heart on her paper. “You have to stop pretending to be so dense, Caroline. It gives the wrong impression.”

She’s feeling surly. “Who said I was pretending?”

Elena smiles and shakes her head. “Caroline Forbes, the only pretending you do is when you act like you’re leaving Mystic Falls for that scrap yard in South Dakota.”

Caroline narrows her eyes. “What are you trying to say?”

“Elena needed to save her town, and she looked to you to help,” Elena shrugs and gives her an amused look. “What I think is that you’ve forgotten something along the way.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s your town too, Caroline.”

~*~

She wakes up briefly, and it’s daytime outside. She’s covered with a blanket up to her chest. Her arms are heavy and when she shifts, she discovers her left arm is trapped under something. She cracks open dry eyes and squints, seeing a mass of black curls peeking out from underneath another blanket.

“You stupid little-“

“Dean.”

Caroline frowns and turns her head to the side. She sees yellow walls and stuffed animals everywhere. She frowns and tries to remember how she ended up in her old bedroom.

Dean and Sam are sitting by her bedside and neither one looks too happy as they stare at her. Caroline furrows her brow and thinks hard. Why would the Winchesters be angry with her?

“You feeling okay?” Sam is the first to speak. He slips in front of his brother and places a hand on her forehead. She closes her eyes and leans into his touch. It feels so nice.

“Caroline?”

“Ah-“ Her jaw moves slightly. Her tongue feels heavy in her mouth and it takes a few tries, but she’s able to speak. “I think . . . my head. Why am I . . . is Isobel Lilitu yet?”

Sam smiles at her and turns to face his brother. “She’s a little out of it.”

“She’s goddamn lucky to be alive!”

“Dean!”

Dean’s angry at her, because she . . . did something.

“You should get some more rest,” Sam advises as he turns back to face her. He bends down and presses a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll come see you later.”

She nods once and he backs away. He looks to his brother, who hasn’t moved an inch. “Dean?”

“I’ll be right there,” Dean says, his eyes dark.

“Dean-“

“Get out Sammy,” Dean snaps at his brother. “Go take your wings for a spin-whatever. Just go.”

Sam sighs heavily, but blinks out of the room obediently. Caroline frowns again, looking at Dean who glares back angrily. “You’re . . . mad?”

His face drops and it looks like he’s grinding his teeth. Caroline’s eyes are starting to feel droopy again. She wants to know what’s up with Dean, but she doesn’t think she’ll be able to get an answer. She just feels so sleepy . . .

“M’sorry,” she mumbles as her eyelids start to close. She’s not sure why she’s sorry, but she knows she is.

“Yeah, that’s easy to say now,” Dean moves and gets to his knees beside her, so that their faces are level. She struggles to keep her eyes open.

“You’re a dumb little blonde and I should kick your ass for what you did,” he says gruffly, wiping at his eyes. His cheeks are glistening with wetness after his hand goes back down and Caroline’s confused. Why is Dean crying?

“But that’ll have to wait until you’re feeling better, I suppose,” Dean sniffs and coughs to clear his throat. “Just one thing, before I go. The next time you feel like dying a horrible death? Let me know in advance. I’ll spare everyone the anxiety and just shoot you myself.”

Her eyes close and her hand reaches out sluggishly. She feels him take hold of it, gripping it tightly between his calloused fingers before she feels his lips pressing against the back of her hand. She laughs, a weak little noise that sounds more like a wheeze than anything else. “You wouldn’t,” is all she says before settling back down for rest.

“Yeah, but I’m tempted,” she hears him mutter before she falls back into a deep sleep.

~*~

When she wakes up the second time, it’s night and everything is very dark. Her eyes flutter open and she’s in the same room and there’s still a weight on her left arm. She’s feeling a bit better and she remembers more than she did last time. She’s aware enough to know that Bonnie is the one sleeping on her arm and that they are not alone in this room.

Damon’s standing by the window, arms folded across his chest as he glares down at the back of Bonnie’s head. Caroline’s heart stops beating and for a second, she thinks she’s having another one of her nightmares.

“It’s okay,” Stefan’s suddenly beside her and she can’t help the yelp of alarm. “It’s just me, it’s okay.”

Caroline’s breathing heavily and it takes her a minute to calm down. Stefan smiles at her in assurance and reaches out to help her sit up. Caroline winces, because Bonnie’s still holding her arm captive. Stefan chuckles softly as he leans over and helps her extract her arm from Bonnie’s clutches. Caroline chances a look at Damon and finds him in the same position as before.

“What’s he-“

“He’s talking to Bonnie,” Stefan explains, motioning to the witch. “It’s something we worked out a while back. So we could still talk even if one of us was injured. Unfortunately it only works on our end when we’re in the same room with her. We were supposed to work on strengthening it when Isobel nabbed her.”

Isobel. The name sends shivers down Caroline’s spine. She grabs Stefan’s hand tightly. “What happened?”

Stefan eyes soften and he pats her hand in comfort. “Everything’s fine. Well, fine might be a bad choice, but certainly everything’s as fine as it could be. Isobel launched quite the attack. We should have seen it coming, but we didn’t know she had her own Salem witch. Her taking Bonnie threw us off that track. That girl, Lily, she charmed several rings and necklaces. They came before sunset and we were surprised.”

“Bonnie’s house!” Caroline blurts out, latching onto a memory of Isobel’s taunts. “Isobel set it on fire! Is everyone . . .”

“No one died,” Stefan assures her. “Tyler was badly burnt. Dean managed to get Bonnie out before the blaze got too out of hand. Tyler went back in for your dog.”

Caroline goes numb with fear. “Rumsfeld?”

“Is okay,” Stefan smiles faintly, as if laughing at some vague memory. “Tyler got knocked in the head pretty bad and Rumsfeld dragged him out by the collar. Jeremy’s still teasing him about it.”

Caroline heaves a sigh of relief. She leans back against her headboard and closes her eyes for a second. She needs to remember to thank Tyler or do something nice for him later on. “How did the town make out?” she asks for a moment’s pause.

“Lost some deputies,” Stefan says with a grimace. “And a few others are close. Deputy-sheriff Sulez is on her way to recovery, but it was scary for a bit. Alaric had his right arm broken, Sheriff McCullough’s got three broken ribs and a concussion, and Matt lost a lot of blood along with fracturing his leg. A few of Bonnie’s remaining witch friends got hurt, the worst was Mary Honeycutt. She’s still in hospital and we’re awaiting news. We’ve given some blood to Carol to hold, in case things get worse. Mary’s like Matt; she never wanted vampire blood inside her.”

Caroline frowns, not sure why they would have to give Carol blood when they could technically give it from the source. She eyes the silent Damon suspiciously. Maybe they think they have to sneak it to her or something?

“Isobel?” she asks, redirecting the conversation.

“Dead,” Stefan sighs as he drops his eyes and starts picking at the blanket with his fingers. “Those bullets Dean gave us, they work pretty well. Along with the vervain darts and the stake guns, we managed to put down the vampires before we lost too many people. It took hours, but most of them were staked and the others fled. Isobel kept some in the woods, and Sam popped into the middle of a gun fight to pull Dean out. From what they tell us, the brothers took out Isobel’s reinforcements while the other angel, Castiel, dealt with Isobel. Sam and Dean caused the distraction, Castiel shot her from outside the warded territory, and Dean rushed in to finish the job while the angels took care of any lingering vampires.”

“What happened to Lily?”

“Dean burnt Isobel’s body right there. Castiel apparently also shot Lily and Dean tossed her body onto the fire as well. They’re both gone.”

She had known it on some level, but the verbal confirmation does wonders to take some of the stress off her mind. Caroline lets out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and allows her body to slide down into a more relaxed position. A small smile starts to stretch across her face. She feels almost peaceful.

“You scared a lot of people,” Stefan starts speaking again. Her eyes widen and she looks to him in confusion. “You ran off, on your own-you could have discussed this with us. Or with Dean. The poor guy went out of his mind when you were gone. I think he’s a little hurt under it all, as well. Caroline, we were all with you. Why didn’t you tell us?”

She looks away, shame staining her cheeks red. “I thought you wouldn’t agree,” she mutters. “Or I thought someone would mess it up-I don’t know. I should have said something-I always yell at Dean for running off half-cocked, but I didn’t even hesitate to lie to him. I don’t know. I’ve tried working with others and it only works so far. Something always goes wrong and someone dies-so I thought I should handle it.”

Her voice trails off at the end, and she knows that her excuses are pathetic at best. If she tries her hand at honesty, she’ll have to admit that she doesn’t trust them-any of them. Not even Dean-not anymore. And not because she’s afraid they’ll betray her, but she’s afraid they won’t come back in one piece. Someone always dies-and this time Caroline thought it would be better if that someone was her.

She can’t look at Stefan, afraid that he’ll see the truth. Her eyes roam the darkened room, looking for something to distract herself with. Her gaze lands upon Damon again and she’s startled to see him looking right at her. She straightens, glancing down at Bonnie quickly before looking up again. She supposes they’re done with their conversation, but she doesn’t know why Damon’s being so quiet. And she doesn’t know what to make of the disappointed look on his face.

“What time is it?” she asks Stefan, turning her back on Damon.

“You should be asking what day it is,” Stefan replies evenly. “You’ve been asleep for almost two days.”

Caroline’s taken aback. “Really?”

Stefan nods as another amused smile curves his lips. “We had to find a new place for you, and your old house was closest. We dumped you both here after the angels did their best with your wounds. We got a little worried when you didn’t get up yesterday, but Sam told us to leave you two. That there was more than just physical healing happening. You spent a good part of last night talking in your sleep and crying. Dean says that’s what you usually do when . . .”

She hears the unspoken question clearly and it twists her heart because the second he mentions it, she does remember. She remembers every single last one, from start to finish, and she feels stupid for ever thinking that it was Elena. There’s an irrational flash of hatred against herself; Elena had been a close friend for sixteen years. How could she have been so clueless? And why couldn’t she realize that she only went along with it because, deep inside, she wanted it to be Elena? She ignored every sign, never willing to analyze why every word out of Elena’s mouth was something Caroline wanted her to say. She wanted Elena to beg for forgiveness, she wanted Bonnie to fight with Elena on her behalf, she wanted Elena to tell her she was doing things wrong because Caroline knew that she was. She wanted Elena to need her, so Caroline could turn her back on Elena. It was everything she wanted and everything she already knew, with sprinkles of heavenly insight and pushiness in between.

And how does she say that to Stefan? How can she explain that she was wrong? Heaven played her yet again, and she went with it because it soothed her ego. It’s an easier pill for her to swallow because she has regret, but she can mourn and move on. Elena is Stefan’s everything-even after death. She sees the barely concealed desperation in his eyes, remembers their conversation from before. How does she put Elena before him and then take her away?

She’s a coward. She can’t do it. “Yeah,” she murmurs, eyes sliding away. She locks eyes with Damon again, but this time she doesn’t glance away. He looks at her like he knows the truth and there’s this soft pleading to his eyes that confuses her. She stares at him with a hard glare, screws up her courage, and then lies.

“It was her,” she says, taking up Stefan’s hand and squeezing it. She plasters on a smile she doesn’t mean and continues. “She seemed . . . I don’t know. I can’t remember, but I feel like she was happy, you know? But . . .”

An anxious look crosses Stefan’s face. “But what?”

Caroline takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. She looks towards the opposite wall, trying for a rueful expression. “It also felt like goodbye. I can’t put my finger on it . . . but, there’s something final about this one. Who knows? Maybe with Isobel gone, she can be at peace?”

She dares a glance at Stefan as she says these last words. There’s some relief in his eyes, because she’s said exactly what he wanted to hear. But there is also pain, because now Elena’s gone in every way. She sees it clearly on his face, understands his feelings better than she would have liked. A strangled sob escapes her lips before she throws her arms around his neck and pulls him close. His hands press against her back, in that same barely there touch that belies his caution. She grips him tighter because she knows he can’t hold her as tightly as he might need. Apologies come pouring out of her mouth and it makes him chuckle as he rubs comforting circles on her back.

“It’s okay,” he says, and there’s something in his voice that suggests he might even mean it. He pulls back and gives her that Stefan-half-smile. “It’s not your fault. It still sucks, but it’s not your fault. Besides, you empathize more than I wish you did.”

Damon clears his throat loudly and she jumps at the sudden interruption. She turns and glares at him. He returns her glare with a slightly sad expression and she’s stumped. What is with him today?

“You need to wrap this up,” Damon says, and it takes her a second to realize he’s talking to Stefan.

“Why?” she asks, giving Stefan a curious look.

“Dean gave us a time limit,” Stefan explains, his smile turning into a smirk at the mention of Dean. “He doesn’t trust Damon yet, but considering the circumstances and my promise to never leave your side while Damon’s here, he relented.”

“What are the circumstances? Stefan, what’s going on?”

“It’s time for goodbye,” Damon’s the one who answers her. She glances at him suspiciously and he just shrugs. “It is what it is.”

“What Damon is very cryptically alluding to is that we’re leaving,” Stefan clarifies and she just arches an eyebrow. “Leaving Mystic Falls.”

Huh? “Huh?”

“The secret’s out of the coffin,” Damon tells her. “Council wants us out.”

“The Council is only tolerant to a certain extent,” Stefan says with a little laugh. “They were okay with us hanging around when the town was in peril, but they made it pretty clear from the start that we weren’t welcome to stay.”

“We’re being deported,” Damon quips, pushing off from the wall and walking closer to the bed. She fidgets more and more as he approaches, her hand reaching out for Stefan’s again. “Under penalty of death. Well, permanent death. That’s gratitude, I tell you.”

“Carol let us know that the others are getting anxious,” Stefan continues. “We’re leaving tonight.”

Caroline’s not sure how she’s supposed to take this. She’s more confused than disappointed. It’s like events were getting beyond her grasp, yet again. “Where are you going?”

Damon shrugs, wandering over to her dresser top and gazing down at the few framed photos she has there. “New York, London, Paris-Kathmandu. Who knows? I say we go to the airport and just buy tickets on the first flight out.”

She nods, and then wrinkles her nose. “What if the next flight’s out to Omaha?”

Stefan laughs. “We might take the second one, if it came to that,” he pauses and looks towards the door. “Dean’s getting antsy. We better go.”

Damon snorts and glares at Caroline. “Your boyfriend’s annoying.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” she retorts. “And I don’t really care if he’s annoying you. In fact, I might buy him a new gun in gratitude.”

Damon looks at her, not a trace of irritation or his usual smugness on his face. “We’ve got no time left, so let’s get to it. I’m sorry.”

The anger rears up suddenly and loudly. She opens her mouth, not sure what’s going to come out, but he stops her with a hand to the mouth. “I know you don’t want to hear it. I understand that you don’t want to hear it, especially not here. But it’s true, and it’s all that I got: I’m sorry.”

She’s tempted to bite the hand over her mouth, and she makes sure her eyes are shooting death at him. He just sighs, removes his hand, and walks back to the window. “I know you that you hate this house, mostly because I can get in whenever I want. It’s a problem, I understand. But once you invite a vampire in, they have access all the time. These walls,” Damon pauses here to push his hand against the nearby wall, “these particular walls, they’ll let us in every time. And I’m not saying anymore because you’re not that blonde.”

The anger dissipates in another flood of confusion. She looks to Stefan for answers. “We’ve left the money with Carol. She’s happy to take charge of the project. Make sure everything goes, all the way down to the foundations. Keep going until there’s nothing but dirt left.”

“Stefan, I’m not-“

“And you’re not blonde enough to believe that anymore,” Damon interrupts again.

“It’s okay, Caroline,” Stefan carries on for his brother. “You don’t need to make justifications to anyone. But the longer you keep this up, the greater the damage. Come home, be safe, and be happy.”

She’s tearing up again. “I don’t know how,” she whispers down at the blanket.

Stefan leans in, envelops her carefully in his arms, and puts his lips to her ears. “You don’t know until you try,” he pulls back and pats her shoulder. “Elena would tell you the exact same thing.”

She nods, because Elena would totally say that, along with a few physical manoeuvres if Caroline failed to comply right away. She laughs weakly and a few tears leak out. Damon’s on his way out, she should be ecstatic. But she feels uncomfortable and unsure. How can they leave after dragging her back?

“You don’t need to hate me to exist, Caroline,” Damon’s voice intrudes on her thoughts. She glances at him sharply, mouth set into a thin line. “You’re more than hiding from me. You’re more than the angel’s ex-girlfriend. And you’re more than the girl whose mother’s dead. Shit, I’m not sure who you are anymore. The guns and the knives make it hard to tell. But you’re more than the things that happened to you.”

“I don’t need lectures from you,” she seethes angrily.

“You need them from someone,” he says with an easy shrug. “And I’m the only one not willing to sugar-coat it for your feelings. I’ll see you outside.”

He’s out her window and gone in the blink of an eye. She rolls her eyes at his exit, making a face at Stefan. “I hate him.”

Stefan shrugs. “He’s not wrong.”

“That just makes me hate him more,” she growls sulkily.

A loud cough from outside startles her. Stefan hangs his head and laughs, pointing to his watch. “Dean’s punctual.”

“For some things,” she agrees grudgingly.

Stefan quirks his lips into another half-smile. “Goodbye, Caroline.”

She sniffs and brushes away an errant tear. “Goodbye, Stefan.”

He’s out the window and gone before Dean even opens the door.

Finale

~*~